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Participant guide
You record your performance directly through the site — no extra software. Walk through the steps below before your official take and there will be no surprises.
Use an up-to-date Chrome, Edge or Safari on a computer or phone. Keep the device plugged in and set the screen not to lock. Close other apps and tabs before recording.
Your phone's or laptop's camera and microphone can do the job, as long as the camera records in full HD — the official take must be 1080p, and the site warns you if your camera is sending less. Place the device horizontally and fix it in place about three metres away, framing yourself from head to feet with the bellows fully open. A phone microphone is built for speech and struggles with an accordion up close, so keep that distance; an external microphone is a plus, but not required.
On the recording page, choose your camera and microphone and watch the level meter. It reads in dBFS: aim for peaks between −18 and −3 dBFS, and keep them below the red line at −3. Speech processing (noise suppression, auto gain) is turned off: we record the accordion's true sound. Play the loudest part of your programme, and if the meter hits red, move away from the microphone.
A 60-second test recording doesn't count as your take, and you can repeat it. Play it back, check the framing and sound, and the site will also measure your upload speed — if it's slow, move closer to the router or use a cable. Start many in a row and the site asks you to wait a few minutes; your official attempt is never affected.
Just like a real stage: once you confirm the start, a 60-second countdown begins — your time to get set — and after it the recording cannot be paused or repeated. The recording stops on its own at the technical limit shown on the recording page, which is longer than the playing time your round allows.
The video uploads to the server while you are still recording, with a clear indicator. When you finish, wait for the confirmation that the recording has been received before closing the page.
Binding requirements
These apply to the official take only — your rehearsals are your own. Read them before you start: the jury judges what the camera and the microphone actually captured, and there is no second take to fix it.
One continuous shot from one fixed position, filmed horizontally. Don't zoom, pan or move the camera while you play, and don't have anyone hold it.
From head to feet, with the bellows fully open — about three metres from the camera. Both hands and the whole instrument have to stay visible from the first note to the last.
A plain wall or a quiet room works best. Light yourself from the front and don't sit with a window behind you — a bright background turns you into a silhouette.
Watch the meter on the recording page while you play the loudest part of your programme. The red line sits at −3 dBFS; above it the sound is distorting, and distortion cannot be repaired afterwards — move back from the microphone.
The same instructions as a PDF you can download, print or send to your teacher. The site itself is in English only.
Sign up, pass verification and record your performance whenever it suits you.
Entries close on 2 May 2027.
No reverb, equalisation or any other processing on the way in. Speech processing is already switched off on our side, so the accordion is recorded as it really sounds.
The organiser checks every official recording on receipt and can invalidate one that clearly fails these requirements — a jury that cannot see the hands or the bellows cannot judge the performance. If that happens you are told why, and whether a new attempt is granted.